Office of the Historian

711.60/5–2845

The Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars of the Soviet Union (Stalin) to President Truman 88

[Moscow, May 27, 1945.]

More than eight months have elapsed since Romania and Bulgaria have broken off with Hitlerite Germany, have concluded armistice with the Allied states and have joined the war on the side of the Allies against Germany having detailed their armed forces for this purpose. By this they have made a contribution to the cause of defeat of Hitlerism and for the victorious completion of victory in Europe. During this time the Governments of Bulgaria and Romania have proven in reality their readiness to cooperate with the United Nations. In connection with this the Soviet Government considers it right and timely [Page 548] to reestablish right now diplomatic relations with Romania and Bulgaria and to exchange envoys.

Simultaneously the Soviet Government considers it practicable to reestablish diplomatic relations also with Finland which is fulfilling the conditions of the armistice agreement and which has taken the road of strengthening of diplomatic beginnings.89 It seems to me possible, after a certain amount of time, to take a similar decision in respect to Hungary.

Simultaneously I am sending a similar message to Mr. Churchill.90

  1. Text of the translated message as forwarded by Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy from the White House on May 28 to the Secretary of State for preparation of a draft reply.↩
  2. For documentation regarding the interest of the United States in the internal affairs of Finland and in the operations of the Allied Control Commission for Finland, see vol. iv, pp. 598 ff; for documentation regarding the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and Finland, see ibid., pp. 624 ff.↩
  3. For English text of the message from Marshal Stalin to Prime Minister Churchill, see Correspondence Between the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the U.S.S.R. and the Presidents of the U.S.A. and the Prime Ministers of Great Britain During the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945, vol. i (Moscow, Foreign Languages Publishing House, 1957), p. 361.↩